You connect pin 2 to either pin 1 or pin 3 depending upon whether you want the resistance to increase or decrease when turning in a clockwise direction. You link gave me an error so I don't don't which way does what, but you can determine that by looking at the pot. It normally shows which way the wiper moves according to rotation direction.

If by 'join' you mean shorting the pins, no, you do not do that. That would defeat the purpose of the pot. The pot acts as a voltage divider.
Refer to the figure. This represents a particular position of a 10k potentiometer. The middle pin, Pin 2, is used to divide the overall resistance of the pot (that is, resistance between pins 1 and 3) to two parts. Here R12 is 6k and R23 is 4k. Total resistance R13 = 10k.

Adjusting the cylindrical knob will help you vary R12 and R23 so that they form different divisions of R13.

I assume that's because the component is more commonly known in the market as a pot. As a hobby circuit rather than a professional one, its likely to give names that are readily identifiable in the market.

Atleast that's what I think.

But yes, that application works as a variable resistor, not as a potential divider. The technically correct name would be variable resistor.

I fully understand the purpose and operation of this device but I am baffled by what to do with the pins do I join pin 2 to pin 1 or 3? or what?

Thank you for responding to my question your help is sincerely appreciated.

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A pot can be configured as a variable resistor (as in the circuit you posted) or as a voltage divider (as show in post #3.) In the circuit you posted, the correct answer is the one you got from crutschow.

In my opinion, it's still a potentiometer regardless of how it's used.

At any rate, I realize that my practice of identifying all potentiometers on my schematic drawings as VR1, VR2, etc., is wrong.

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Not necessarily. I agree with weyneh. A potentiometer (device) is a resistor with a variable wiper on the resistive element. It may be configured as a two-terminal variable resistor or a 3-terminal voltage divider but the device is still a pot, which can be configured different ways.

Sometimes a transistor has the collector connected to the base and is used as a diode, but you don't call it a diode (actually makes a rather ideal diode). It's still a transistor.